


like kisses on the necks of best friends

by brandywine421



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Post-Canon, Service Dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22312405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: Frank never had a good answer when people asked why he'd settled for Matt.  He had lots of angry and profane answers, before they corrected themselves to 'settled down with' instead of the original phrasing; but people that had known them before and after, together and separately - well, those people didn't have to ask.Most of the times he managed not to punch the ones that implied he was taking on a burden dating a blind man, as if Murdock needed fucking help - let alone would accept it - for fucking anything.  He'd seen Matt take down five men in his tighty-whities - skills like that did not a burden make.(It was sexy as hell, though.  Attraction had never been their problem, timing, sure, moral boundaries - absolutely - but never attraction.)
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock
Comments: 77
Kudos: 330
Collections: Fratt Week





	1. bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints

**Author's Note:**

> *vibrates with anxiety* So, too flaky lately to write individual fics, so I tried to write a cohesive story with these seven prompts. (Ha, cohesion, what's that, don't know her but yolo?) Some 'prompts' are obvs, some just have the word somewhere in the text and some are just tangentially related but - totes should have seven chapters of various length and relevance for a Fratt-filled week of fluff.

  
Frank never had a good answer when people asked why he'd settled for Matt. He had lots of angry and profane answers, before they corrected themselves to 'settled down with' instead of the original phrasing; but people that had known them before and after, together and separately - well, those people didn't have to ask.

Most of the times he managed not to punch the ones that implied he was taking on a burden dating a blind man, as if Murdock needed fucking help - let alone would accept it - for fucking anything. He'd seen Matt take down five men in his tighty-whities - skills like that did not a burden make.

It was sexy as hell, though. (Attraction had never been their problem, timing, sure, moral boundaries - absolutely - but never attraction.) 

The flirting was fun, the arguing even more so - they never lacked for conversation - but the idea that they spent more time in each other's beds than apart was a concept strangers couldn't seem to get their heads around.

Not that Frank gave any fucks about what strangers thought about them.

Curt shrugged when he brought it up once, scolded him for worrying about jealous assholes. He said it never crossed his mind that they wouldn't be good together simply because Frank couldn't sleep without a weapon and, well, Matt was a fucking weapon.

Matt knew Frank didn't like to be less than five feet from his gun just like he knew that Matt would turn anything within his reach into a weapon if he was startled.

He'd lost an alarm clock, end table, lamp and three library books before he learned to keep Matt's wingspan reach clear of projectiles. Matt wouldn't throw a gun, hell, it was the one object his sleepy Devil Doppler could always pick out and avoid, but it was an adjustment they both made without discussing it out loud. (There was that one time Matt had used one of Frank's rifles as fighting staff but there had been gin and blood loss involved and the safety was on so only the bad guys were upset about it.)

They slept better together. (Worked better together, too, but they weren't admitting that yet.)

Sarah told him that it was because Matt didn't expect him to change. Sure, he wanted him to stop collecting arrest warrants and murder charges, just like Frank wanted him to stop collecting lost causes and battle scars but they both knew it wasn't going to happen. Their stubborness was part of their personalities like DNA - got it fair and square from their parents.

Matt was stubborn, but he wasn't inflexible - he was fucking adapatable - bending his strict ethics and routines to make room for Frank's ill-fitted morals and regiments. Frank was going to break the law, just not when Matt was around and he wouldn't lie about it. Matt was going to chase down ninja mobsters with his neck bared for a blade - but he didn't lie about it when Frank stitched him up. They accepted each other, claws and flaws and all and were better for it.

Frank woke up screaming a couple of times a month, more on forgotten or remembered birthdays, but Matt woke up crying a few times a week when he didn't get enough sunlight or had too many whiskey sours. They couldn't fix it, change it - but they could work around it.

It took three beers and four shots before he got the nerve to ask Karen why she didn't give him shit about banging her boss and second ranked BFF. She didn't shrug or roll her eyes, going thoughtful with that distant gleam in her eyes that made him feel like falling.

He and Matt both loved Karen, but different versions - she carried her secrets under her own kind of mask.

Karen said she never thought about it as a possibility until she saw them together 'in the wild'. Not the courtroom or the jail, not when they were out for each other's blood - but when they were at the bar, Frank with his beer and Matt with his scotch, neat. Matt laughed, a deep throaty one that she'd never heard, a free and open chuckle. And Frank smiled, flashing his teeth, lighting up with unabashed fondness.

They trusted each other, and knowing them both the way she did, knowing she'd failed that particular box on the checklist for both of them in different ways - meant she'd never questioned why it worked. She gave him a look, though, that judged him for questioning why it worked.

* * *

_"I want a big dog."_

Frank grunted that he heard him but it took a moment for the words to process through his almost asleep buzz. "You're getting a dog?"

"I've been advised by my attorney, public relations advocate and AA sponsor, that it needs to happen."

He opened his eyes. "You can't call Jones your AA sponsor, don't insult the program."

"Got your attention though."

He slid his fingers around Matt's bicep and tugged him to lie down beside him instead of sitting up himself. "You had my attention at 'dog'."

"Big dog."

He pushed his hand into Matt's hair, smiling at the way he turned into the touch like an eager kitten for skritches. "Why do they want you to get a dog?"

"Allegedly, I'm bad at being a blind guy," he said. "And you miss Max."

 _Goddammit_.

"Foggy made me an appointment with a trainer upstate, mentioned they had a few retired military dogs looking for good homes. Maybe you come with me, see what they've got to offer."

"Have you been talking to Curt?" Frank accused, but he already knew the answer. Red came up with the idea on his own.

"Don't want to share my dog and you'll get all weird about it," Matt yawned, lazily shifting to lace fingers behind his neck. "But if Curt wants to sign off on a therapy dog, maybe we could get a discount."

Frank hated the way Red's brain worked sometimes. "Two dogs in the same apartment with different jobs, might be a challenge to match us up. We could just get _regular_ dogs."

"We're not _regular_ people."

"Would it help or hinder your senses?"

Matt licked his lip, thoughtfully and Frank accepted the invitation to kiss him and help his thought process along. "Might be nice to turn off sometimes. Spatial awareness be damned, maybe - "

He kissed him again, accepting his truth. "Getting a dog easier than just letting up on the parkour?"

"I'm insulted," Matt laughed, settling his nose into the hollow of Frank's collarbone.

"Why a big dog?"

"My personal space is important. Big dog - bigger perimeter of personal space," Matt hummed, pleased with himself.

"Guess you got all the answers."

"I have a lot of baggage attached to dogs. My dad wanted to get me one when I first went blind but he could barely afford to feed and clothe me, let alone a dog. Stick said it would be a sign of weakness, but he thought everything was a sign of weakness. I liked your dog."

Frank remembered.

"I'm taking the ultimatum, I mean, the polite recommendation, and making it an excuse to get a dog. Is that okay?"

"Do you need my permission?"

Matt hummed into his neck. "No. But I'd like you to stay over more. Save on rent, if you want. You already park your truck here. You can make sure I'm being good to my new dog."

Frank hummed back, catching his lip in his teeth and kissing him deep. "Gave up the lease on that place weeks ago, but David will be glad to have his couch back on those nights before you have early court."

"Huh. Full of surprises."

"You're not surprised, you're smug," Frank laughed.

Matt splayed his hand over his ribcage. "I'm pleased, not smug. Totally different. I'm - living together's a big thing, and I like that we're not making it a big thing."

"Getting a dog - "

"Two dogs - "

"- Is a bigger thing."

"It's a challenge. We both like those," Red grinned, flashing those teeth. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration Word: Weapons


	2. waking up with pants on at 4 in the afternoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Every time I click in to edit a chapter, I get scared - I don't want to click post on the wrong day and make it be all out of order - so here's Tuesday's chapter _(It's totes Tuesdays somewhere, I think)_ \- thanks so much for the kind response! ♥

_"Well fuck me, didn't think your ass left the Kitchen if it wasn't an apocalypse."_

Matt hadn't heard Bucky Barnes' voice in years and went in for the bro-hug without invitation. "I don't know, a good farmer's market can get me outside the city limits on a nice day. The hell are you doing here?"

"Barton told us he was sending a friend up for a special order pup, said I'd know him by his scary boyfriend - Castle, right?" He ignored the soldiers posturing at each other to scan the brimming fenced in landscape. Trees, buzzing bees - did they have their own hive? - cats, some kind of fowl in metal cages and - dogs - lots and lots of dogs.

"Is that Murdock?" Rogers called from a good distance away.

"Thought that Cap was dead," Frank murmured. Matt and Frank had accidentally tagged in with the Avengers a few times and agreed that Sam Wilson was their favorite Cap. Matt had only worked with Steve once, accidentally, but knew Bucky well after the poor guy had a fling with Jessica that ended in tears - his not hers.

"Nah, played Doctor Who for a while jumping around timelines but Dr. Strange locked him down. He's an animal hoarder now - " Bucky said.

Steve brushed dog food dust off his gloves on his jeans before tugging them off to greet them properly with handshakes while glaring at Bucky. "It's a sanctioned animal rescue and training center. Westchester sends kids over to volunteer for class credit and we sponsor prison and veteran programs - "

"They got the pamphlet, Stevie, I'm just giving you shit," Bucky cut him off, taking Matt's elbow gently, not to guide him but capturing his attention. "Why do you need a dog, Matt? Are you all right?"

The worry in the man's voice shocked him mute. He didn't expect Bucky's genuine concern, he didn't expect him at all. Best laid plans and all that.

"His identity's always a problem," Frank answered for him. "He's been ditching his sticks and glasses for years and his team thinks it'll help shut up some of the rumors."

Matt nodded, leaning into Frank's steadying hand on his back. "I want to try it. I think Frank and I both slept better when he had a dog around, and my focus could use a break. So I'm here to meet some dogs and set up a training schedule. I can't believe you're the dog trainer," Matt added honestly.

"Got some Asgardians on staff that talk to the animals in Allspeak, but I'm fine with taking most of the credit," Steve said.

"He's in superhero time out," Bucky stated.

Steve puffed up to full Captain America Attention. "I can take my punishment like a man. Bucky, take Frank through our companion dogs up for adoption while I go over Matt's specifications."

"Swap," Bucky said and Matt smiled despite Steve and Frank's surprised internal flinches. "I know what the Devil wants. A big dog, right? So you can hear its heartbeat roar over all the rest."

He bumped his knuckles with Bucky's metal ones and turned to Frank, kissing his cheek. "You okay with that?"

"Yeah, don't go far," Frank replied.

"Don't be weird, Cap will give you all the autographs you want, probably take a selfie for you to taunt David with if you tell him about the kids," he murmured under his breath, earning a huff from Frank at being caught out but at least relieving the edge of jealous tension.

* * *

"He wants me to get a dog, too," Frank admitted, keeping Matt in his peripheral vision as Steve led him to a different fenced-in section of the kennel, inside instead of out. 

"Do you want one? Sounded like you're still getting over the last one," Steve offered, kindly.

"Max was grown when I found him, all I can hope is he had a better five years with me than the ten or so he had before." He missed the dog, though. Those quiet nights with Matt curled against his side rambling about his cases with Max sprawled easily across their laps were - damned good nights. Closest to peace he'd found in, hell, decades. Without Max, he had to make do with Matt and damned if it didn't come close on a good day, but far from enough on their worst.

Damn. Maybe he wanted a dog.

* * *

"[Her name's Blue](https://66.media.tumblr.com/ffc03a6b20e987a59e6f15372e0464a3/a424a5a076c51aba-ec/s1280x1920/920a0a523c08111e428413defed9280c4ed0c9cc.jpg)," Matt said, strumming his fingers through the tall, fluffier than expected, dog at his side.

Frank glanced at Bucky, then down to the dog that came up to his waist before focusing on Matt. "Why?"

"Because it's on her collar? She just had a birthday," Matt said.

He took in the dog and finally accepted that Blue was a fucking giant. "She's as big as a bear, fluffy, too - I gotta ask, Red - are you sure?"

"Woof," Blue said, sitting down and raising her right paw.

"She'll need a lot of training, she knows the basics but Matt will need to work with her regularly for a few weeks to tailor her to his needs," Bucky winked. "Part Leonberger, part Bernese Mountain - lucky for you guys, she's probably won't get much bigger."

Matt stroked the dog with a pleased expression but Frank felt like he needed to be the adult here. Blue was a beautiful dog, black and brown and tan with huge liquid eyes - but _huge_ \- ginormous.

"She'll need a lot of exercise but the park's near the office and she'll keep me from running up a fire escape if I hear something weird," Matt hesitated.

"I guess I'm more worried about them letting you in the courthouse or the orphanage with a dog this size," Frank admitted.

"She was going to be a mobility dog so her size shouldn't be an issue for her clearance. Did you forget your boyfriend's a master lawyer? Kept my ass off the Raft, what, three times?" Bucky laughed.

"That was Foggy, my name's not on any of that - and it's confidential," Matt protested.

"Right," Frank sighed, done with being an adult and holding out his hand for Blue to sniff and wag her tail in appreciation of the greeting. She was so fucking soft. "Hair's going to get everywhere."

"Brushing a dog is comforting," Matt said. "You know I'm sensitive to smells so the grooming variable is going to eat up a lot of my time."

Oh. Maybe this was more about self-care than he thought.

"You're a bastard," Frank sighed, turning as Steve walked out with [Scratch](https://66.media.tumblr.com/d2d67a81bd1eb36e977353d0f8166b6f/a424a5a076c51aba-3f/s500x750/0b410d6eb4fc7708eed8e06100ccb8b2c01ead23.jpg).

"And who's this?" Matt asked, crouching down when Scratch trotted over to them with an excited wagging tail.

Steve slid an arm around Bucky. "Frank drives Matt up so I figured he could train her up to be more than a footwarmer."

Once Matt was approved for pats and he got his fingers on Scratch's thick fur, Frank had a rush of warmth at his blatantly fond expression. "She's pretty big, too, Rogers said she flunked out of med school for too much energy, but - the park's right by your office," Frank sighed.

"Part-Husky? I'll take bath and grooming duty if you handle mixing the food," Matt said.

"We'll need a bigger place," Frank said, comforting Blue with some snuggles while Matt tried to win over Scratch. 

"Bigger tub, sure, but my place is rent controlled," Matt protested. "And already cleared for service animals. They're not allowed on the bed."

Bucky and Steve glanced at each other but didn't comment. _Traitors_.

* * *

"Holy shit, it's a bear! Fuck, it's a bigger bear! Karen, do you see this?"

Karen clicked 'print' on the photo and called back. "Bet you're glad we have that spare office so Matt's dog can sit down!" 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration Word: City


	3. my smile's an open wound without you

"Christ, you're starting a family with the asshole," Jessica said when the handful of Polaroids were passed to her. Rogers liked Polaroids because he ' _didn't trust the cloud'_ but Matt didn't really have an opinion on photos.

"Is there a reason they gave you, like, a monster dog? I mean, do you need that much help?" Danny asked, but Matt didn't sense that he was afraid or worried, just curious.

"You guys, now we can find the Devil when he can't remember what dumpster he's in," Luke said, earning a high-five from Jess.

"I _wanted_ a big one, easier for me to track, to use as focus. She's a very good girl," Matt added.

"Are you sure you want to adopt kids with the Punisher?" Jessica asked. "I know you say he's a good lay - "

"Thanks," Frank called from upstairs.

"You're welcome," Matt said.

Jessica ignored them. "But this is a huge step."

Frank leaned over the railing to call down. "You can only have dibs on dog-sitting duty if you tell Matt who paid you to follow him."

Her pulse soared in triumph. "Already told him when I took him the pictures."

"Wait, you want to dog-sit?" Matt interrupted.

"Of course she does, but I think I should get dibs because I have a bigger place," Danny said.

"She's a service dog, she'll go with me everywhere," Matt reminded them.

"Whatever, dude, you spend at least six hours of the day in a mask parkouring around town," Luke laughed.

"And you and Frank get kidnapped, what, every six months?" Danny added.

Matt raised his middle fingers to scold him for bringing it up.

"Both of them have been used for hospitals and rehab visits since they were pups," Frank said, letting them off the hook. "Matt's dog is supposed to stick to him unless directed otherwise - "

"And Frank's dog is supposed to stick with him, but they're socialized as support animals - but they're being trained for us specifically," Matt finished.

"Which means they can stay at their Aunt Jessica's house," she affirmed. 

* * *

  
Frank wasn't expecting Nelson to turn up at the apartment three days before the dogs were due. He didn't spend a lot of time with his partner's partner, too wary of pissing off Matt's 'forever bro'. Foggy was more than a work wife, more than a BFF - he was Matt's north, for better or worse.

They broke each other's heart on a regular basis and Frank had to be careful around the guy that Matt used as tether.

"Cards out, Castle - I didn't think he'd actually go through with the dog thing," Foggy said with a tired sigh, raising a sixer of beer as if he needed a peace offering. This might go very bad, very fast.

"Okay. Don't think you can take it back now," Frank said, waiting for him to acknowledge that he was elbow deep in a toolbox and a half-assembled raised dog bed.

"Shit, I know. It's going to be a good thing, I acknowledge that completely - just - listen to what I'm trying to say so I don't actually have to say it," Foggy huffed.

He kept his mouth closed.

"It's a good thing. Matt's - got a lot of problems, a lot of issues and a dog right now, could be the best thing ever or a gigantic mistake."

Ah. Matt had told them he was moving in. This was his shovel talk - he was fucking listening now.

"He can take care of himself, Castle, when he gives a damn - but he forgets sometimes, if he's too focused on caring about other shit, don't - let this dog fuck him up, and don't let him fuck up the dog - if you think she'll be better off somewhere else."

"I get it," Frank said.

"He'd die for you. And losing you - would break him. Don't - "

He inhaled through his nose. "Red's got a lot of reasons for getting the dog. Probably wouldn't have had the balls to ask me to stay if he didn't get the idea. He knows I miss Max."

Foggy hesitated at the subject change after he'd opened the door.

"Max was the first - shit, he made me feel like a real person again, not just a raging beast searching for a target to - punish - " he paused at Foggy's snort and pop of two bottle caps.

"Max didn't trust me because of protection - food, a soft bed, and pats - he was a fighting dog, born and raised - didn't know anything else, but always knew that there was more to life than pain and hunger - trust like that - meant more to me than the anything else at the time. Didn't know if I was capable of - deserving that kind of trust after - after everything. Max made me care about coming home again, you get me?"

He accepted the beer, taking three deep pulls off the bottle before moving it aside.

"Yeah. Maybe I do."

"Matt doesn't make me care about coming home, Foggy. Matt - he is my home, all right?"

"Don't wreck this - for him, or you, okay? Please," he sighed.

"We're - doing this together, hell, we're training the dogs together - "

"That scares the hell out of me. I'm not used to sharing my best friend, especially when it feels like I'm finally getting him back. Now there's this dog coming to the office and a beer and TV buddy at his apartment, a fiancee at mine - "

Maybe this wasn't about moving in.

"Are you jealous of the dog?" Frank asked.

"Shut up."

* * *

  
Since the initial 'suggestion' of getting a dog had come from Jessica, Foggy and Karen ganging up on him intervention-style - he insisted they be at the apartment when they brought the dogs home.

Of course that set Frank off and he invited Curt and David - and by the time they got back from the training center, they were bickering at each other under their breath so they wouldn't upset the dogs.

"I just don't understand how you can be turned up to eleven - "

"I'm not - "

"But want everyone else to be turned down to six - "

"What are you even - "

"They're dogs, they're going to be dogs - they don't need a puppy-shower or a housewarming party, they just need a bowl of kibble, some water and a ball - maybe the rope if they're good - " 

"This isn't about the dogs - "

"I just want to go home and have a quiet night with Scratch - "

_"Woof!"_

"And Blue and you and not have to deal with our meddling - "

"Shut up, you think I don't want that, too, asshole? We get this out of the way now - they'll stay off our back for three days, minimum - if we put them off, they'll stretch it out for days - "

The truck was silent apart from the panting pups as Frank pulled up to the apartment. "Oh."

"You didn't get that?" Matt asked, reaching for his seat belt but finding Frank's hand instead.

"No. Maybe I'm a little - wound up about the dogs, too," he admitted.

"We've been gone over an hour, at least half the party will be drunk by now," Matt said when Frank squeezed his fingers. "I thought we made the plan together - "

"I didn't know there was a plan at all," Frank muttered, leaning in to press his mouth against his quickly. "But at least we got all that out of our system - "

"Maybe you did, but I'm pissed at you for starting a fight," Matt replied, tailoring his expression to 'blank' but failing since Frank laughed as he popped the locks.

Blue was at his side, butting her nose at his hand to encourage him to take her harness. At least the dog knew what they were doing.

Scratch's tail thumped against his leg, then Frank's, excited to be at her forever home but Blue was steady and sure.

When they were inside the apartment, accepting hugs and drunken cheek kisses - he noticed the stack of unfamiliar shapes on the counter. "Christ, we really are having a puppy shower, aren't we?"

"Oh, was that not supposed to be on the invitation? My bad," Jessica said, slinging an arm around his shoulder and pushing a bottle of whiskey warm from her pocket into his hand.

He took a long swallow, then another before passing it back and ignoring the 'looks' he sensed from Foggy and Karen.

"You know why I was on the dog wagon? 'Cause I don't think Nelson and Page were on the same page - ha," she said, not quite slurring but definitely having a good time.

"Not so much, to harass me about my best friend's fiancee paying you to spy on me?" Matt countered. They were going to have to deal with Marci soon, but Foggy was the hold up on the secret-spillage this time, as was his right. 

"Castle keeps you steady. Don't want you to burn him out. Told him the same thing, don't want his growly ass fucking up your zen - we all worked too hard to get where we are," she said, softening her tone. "Don't make him your everything, spread it around."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration Word: Wound


	4. my 9 to 5 is cutting open old scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Updated chapter count, I am concluding it on Day 6 _(because I want to write something else for Day 7.)_
> 
> Thanks so much for sticking with me through this so far! ♥

He didn't have to focus double time on the echo for the cracks in the sidewalk on the way to the church, Blue trekking along and having enough weight in her steps to illuminate the terrain.

God, it was relaxing to have a singular compass without constantly shifting his attention. He had never considered - he'd never allowed himself - 

Matt shook out of his thoughts, laying a hand on Blue's harness to reassure them both that he wasn't a quitter - he wasn't going to let the guilt of claiming Blue as his crutch and or cuddle buddy - ruin the warmth and validation of having a new friend.

He wasn't going to hurt Blue like he'd hurt all the other friends he'd made before, but he couldn't hoard her all to himself either - she was too - too much for him to keep all to himself.

"Oh dear," Sister Maggie remarked when Matt turned the corner toward the church. "Going to have a lot of trouble keeping the kids away from that one."

Blue trotted along beside him, not bothering to steer him after the weeks of training, and stopped a couple of feet away from Maggie and Father Sheen. "Luckily, I was going to see if some of your kids wanted to give her some exercise while I give confession and meet with you," he said with a small grin as Blue sat down at his side.

"Is that recommended? She's a guide dog," Father Sheen said.

"We all wear different hats, if the vest is off - she's just a very good dog. She visited hospitals and clinics before I got her, she's a very good dog," he repeated with a fond pat.

Sister Maggie sighed, fond. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"I'm aware," he said. "I let Sister Gertrude know a few weeks ago, she's got the instructions."

"Vest on, no play - vest off, throw the ball," Sister Gertrude said, approaching them. "The kids are very excited about it."

He winced and both Sisters lit up in amusement. "Can I just walk through it with the quiet ones and you handle the rest?"

Father Sheen patted him on the back. "If you think any of the kids will be quiet with a big fluffy dog around, you're as crazy as everyone says you are."

He took Blue through the clinic area first to the sick kids and went over the instructions and by the time they made it to the back garden, they had a line of followers.

He knew most of the kids, if not by name by reputation since Maggie considered him a buffer to hear her grievances since he visited her twice a week. They were both working off their guilt in different ways.

"She's very clean, not that I thought she'd be dirty, just, did you have her groomed before bringing her?" Sister Maggie asked.

"We've had them four days, I've spent more time brushing their hair in the mornings and before bed than anything else I've done this week," he admitted. It was a relaxing exercise, but Frank was tiptoeing around naming it as a problem.

"Are you overcompensating?"

"Probably, I need a second opinion. Is there dog hair on my clothes?" Matt asked.

Father Sheen and Sister Gertrude brushed at his back but agreed that he was neat and clean. Liars, the lot of them.

* * *

Scratch barked like the house was on fire when Matt put on the mask the first time. He'd made sure to work with Blue and Bucky to train her out of the panic response of a masked man in the safe zones but going by Frank's amused laughter, they'd skipped those lessons with Scratch.

He calmed down the dog, pleased that Blue stayed off duty at Frank's side, and started up the stairs to wait until he was out of the perimeter to try again but Blue bounded up the stairs and nudged at his hand before he could get it on the knob.

Frank, the asshole, continued to laugh.

He spent a few more minutes calming down Blue and finally slipped onto the roof and started the trek to meet Danny and the others to handle a meth lab.

He guessed it was lucky that they didn't play the audio for him until afterward, when he had a drink and an icepack for his knee. Danny was the only one that seemed to understand his lack of amusement at the dog's recorded howls of unhappiness that Frank sent with captioned ' **lols** ' to the Defenders.

He didn't wake Frank from the couch in his puppy pile when he slipped in, but the dogs did when he tried to wrap his knee and call for a consult at the same time.

Steve had already picked up when Frank coaxed Scratch off the bed and Blue away from the first aid kit.

"You need Bucky?"

"I upset the dog," Matt blurted out.

"Huh. Tell me."

He forced himself to focus on Steve's question and not Frank's muffled movements in the other room and told him about Scratch and Blue's reaction to his trip out.

Steve cut him off with a sigh, amused or annoyed he wasn't sure - probably should have asked for Bucky for maximum understanding. "She's not just your dog, Matt, you're her human. Codependency isn't a problem for dogs, it's part of life, you know? She wants to take care of you the same way you look after her and she can't brush your hair or make your meals - "

"But Frank and Scratch are here when I'm not, or they're with Foggy or Jess - she upset Frank," Matt interrupted.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he called me on a job, he never does that."

Frank ambled into the bedroom and shifted, probably crossing his arms in judgment. "Matt. Stop lying to Rogers, your dog is fine."

"You sent everyone videos of how sad she was," Matt said, hearing the pout after the fact. 

"Oh my God, send it to me now," Steve demanded. "I need it to better advise your troubleshooting."

"You don't need to see it, you'll think I'm a bad dog-parent," Matt frowned but he heard Frank tapping away at his phone anyway before he draped his arms on Matt's shoulders and kissed his cheek trying to be cute.

He wasn't cute, this was a crisis and no one was taking him seriously. Frank swiped his phone and switched it on speaker.

"I think you're a dramatic asshole, but that doesn't mean you can't be a good dog-parent," Steve muttered. Matt heard Bucky mutter something in the background. "Bucky says you're probably rubbing off on Blue and teaching her to be dramatic."

"Did he mention that Scratch howled just as much as Blue? Or that I only let it go on long enough to get a good video before I calmed them down with bones and a walk?" Frank asked.

Steve laughed softly, ignoring Matt's huff of despair.

Bucky's voice picked up. "Matt, stop being a weirdo, the dog wouldn't miss you when you left if you were a shit owner, I know she's your first pet - no disrespect to Max - but you're overreacting."

"You guys should come by when you're in town," Frank said, peeling Matt's black shirt off and going to work on his belt. He allowed the manhandling since he, maybe, was overreacting. "Blue's got her own bed at his office, his church and the coffee shop."

"Your dog uses those beds, too," Matt said.

"Oh, we're definitely coming by to check on your pups now - and we got two new referrals from your VA group, Castle - thanks for spreading the word," Steve said.

Frank hesitated but Matt smiled at his surprise. "Glad you decided to take her to the meeting."

"Couldn't leave her home alone," Frank muttered.

"Sounds like those dogs have got you both on your best behavior, no wonder you're freaking out," Bucky said.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration Word: Family


	5. I just followed your scent - you can just follow my smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: One more to go! Happy Friday! Don't forget to 'click' the collection link and see all the glorious Frank/Matt content!

Scratch was a good dog, the best dog, and Frank made sure to tell her at every opportunity so she didn't get discouraged by Blue.

Blue was also a very good dog, but had a total overachiever complex going on. She was unwilling to 'play' with Scratch, on duty or off, if Matt was in her periphery. Blue was obsessed with her job, with Matt in general and he was no doggie psychologist, but he wasn't sure if it was a normal kind of 'he is my pup and I will protect him at all cost' kind of obsession or - something else.

He wasn't going to bother the Caps like Matt, though, he figured they could resolve it without calling in the alleged 'dog professionals'.

Tonight, Matt was napping on the bed, taking a couple of hours to rest before caffeinating and heading out on his rounds and Blue was on the job. Frank watched, strumming his hand down his very good dog's soft fur while Blue brought Matt his thermos, keys, stick, and jacket (in an impressive leap and bite to retrieve it from the hook) and placed them all in a neat pile at his side.

"Blue. Come here, girl," Frank murmured, not waiting to see what else she would take him. He focused his full attention on her, reminding her that she didn't have to be on the job all the time.

He didn't worry about Scratch until he heard the jingle of her collar and glanced into the bedroom. Matt was still out of it, face and body lax in sleep, but now Scratch had dragged the stick and the jacket back to the hallway and had the black Daredevil armor clutched in her teeth, halfway to the bed.

"Christ," Frank muttered, blinking at the scene. Blue scrambled into the bedroom with a wagging tail and retrieved the batons from the trunk and joined Scratch at the bed beside the pile of gear.

He leaned against the doorway and Matt slowly twitched awake with both dogs waiting expectantly at his side. "What?"

"The dogs don't know how to turn off any better than you do," Frank said.

Matt swiped his hand over his face. "Was I not sleeping?"

"Dogs were getting your gear together," Frank smiled as he reached out to give Blue and then Scratch attention while he found his way back to consciousness.

"Shit. She does it at the office when I fall asleep, I think Karen taught her," Matt hummed.

Oh. "You been falling asleep at the office?"

"Mm. Meditation at two with Danny, nap usually hits around two-thirty."

He had a twinge of jealousy that Rand was spending time with him every day.

"Are you making a face because I'm taking an extra nap or something else?" Matt asked, sitting up. He frowned when he picked up the baton. "They got my night gear?"

"Scratch corrected her sister's error," he sighed.

"That's - fucking adorable, Frank. Still feels like you're giving me the stink-eye."

"Rand flashing his tits all over your afternoon break?" Frank asked.

"Yes, meditation doesn't work unless we're completely nude - we totally sit in my office with our shirts off and - "

"Shut up," Frank grunted.

Matt flopped back on the bed in a sprawl. "I can't wait to tell him that you're jealous."

"Don't you dare - " Frank said, taking the invitation to climb on the bed and straddle him. 

"Then he can confess his love and - " Matt went on until Frank shut him up.  
  


* * *

  
"Seriously, Castle, how do you keep this dog so clean?" Gretchen mumbled, face buried in Scratch's fur.

"His boy-toy's an OCD freak," a new voice answered and Frank slowly turned to glare at the unfamiliar vet at today's meeting.

Sam Wilson grinned at him from beside Curt's seat. "Asshole," Frank grumbled, accepting the offered handshake and hug.

"Am I wrong?" Sam laughed.

Gretchen glanced up, letting Scratch continue her rounds to greet tonight's group. "You make your boyfriend - "

"Nobody makes Matt do anything," Frank said honestly. "But he doesn't want dog hair on his stuff - like that's an option when his dog is twice as fluffy as mine - but he's a little, _fastidious_ about it."

"I thought dogs hated taking baths," Curt offered, tugging over Scratch's mat to put beside his chair.

"He made it part of their training - regular, non-dramatic baths," Frank admitted.

Sam laughed and clapped him on his back. "I don't think there's a single non-dramatic bone in Matt's body."

"You coming for lunch after to tell him to his face?"

"Absolutely," Sam agreed. "But not until you take me to the park with that beast of yours so I can report back to the geriatrics."

"Really? They sent you to do a check-in?" Frank frowned. He could take care of his own damned dog - 

"Buck asked me to piss off Steve; he's jealous as hell of anybody that hung out with him when he was off toddling around time like a dick," Sam said. "But now, Bucky's jealous that I'm in the city when he's stuck in time-out on the ranch."

Frank blinked. "Are they both in time-out?"

"Oh yeah, so any excuse that keeps me away from their blast and whine zone is an excuse I'm going to take - isn't that right, Scratch? Such a good girl," Sam showered the dog with attention when she finally reached him after finishing her circle.

That was a lot to unpack. "You alright, man?"

Sam glanced around before letting his affable smile slip. "Been a rough couple of months, I just don't feel like playing counselor before I get my land-legs back. I just want to get drunk and not think for a few days."

Scratch nudged his knee until he smiled down at her.

"She's right, you should talk it out in group and I'll text Matt that I'm missing lunch. He calls it a 'mental health day' when he takes Jessica out day-drinking," Frank said.  
  


* * *

  
Sam stayed on their couch three nights to 'supervise the dogs' and gave Frank many high-fives for 'taming the devil'. It was strange that his place with Matt was stable enough to be a safe space for sad superheroes that needed a break.

It also gave him a head's up on how the pups put their emotional support training into action, crowding Sam when he went quiet or bringing their toys to him when he lost focus.

He couldn't pick out what they picked out, and Matt - with senses naturally tweaked to eleven - admitted later that he hadn't noticed any clues either. He did set a reminder to send regular pictures to Sam once he'd been steady enough to head home. Matt could have his regular bro-calls to Bucky, but Frank liked the idea of being in the superior Captain's contact list.

He never wanted to be a hero, fuck heroes, he never had a hero that lived long enough to deserve the title - but he'd had a lot of good friends. He wanted to be a good friend more than he ever wanted to be a hero - but it was a learning curve.

The dogs seemed to have the hang of it, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration Word: Dog


	6. I found the safest place to keep all our old mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♥

Matt didn't consider himself a good caretaker, not in the normal definition of the word. 

He experienced pain and illnesses in completely different ways than un-enhanced people. Hot soup to him with a cold was like pouring tasteless, heated yuck down his throat and immediately made him want to vomit. Blankets when he was chilled with fever was like being crushed under Midland Circle all over again with the weight on his inflamed skin. A cool mask over his eyes when he had a headache was like giving the flames in his broken vision the heat to match and send his shards of pain into chaos.

He knew Frank was under the weather from his overheated skin and whistling sinuses and left him to sleep, heading to the bathroom to see what the first aid kit had that would work for 'possible cold and or flu symptoms'.

He was so accustomed to the dogs being in his space that he didn't notice they followed him into the bathroom until he started taking things out of the box, skimming labels with his fingertips and moving them aside. But when he moved to put the unnecessary bottles back to the box, they were gone, pills rattling as Blue carried them across the bedroom.

"Blue, no," he whispered, but Frank was already studying the small cache of discarded remedies in his lap while he stroked Scratch's fur.

"You think I need a laxative, Matt? I'm touched you're concerned about my digestive - " Frank started, lapsing into a round of coughs.

 _Gross_. "You're sick, I was checking the first aid kit. Decongestant and vitamins, I'll get you some water - you should stay hydrated. Ignore whatever they brought you," Matt said, trading his meds for Frank's pile.

"Could be allergies," Frank said but made no move to get up. Scratch whined and raised herself on two paws.

"I think you have a fever but didn't find a thermometer, I'll check the kitchen when I get you - "

"It's either allergies or a cold, no need for special treatment," Frank yawned, smacking his lips. "I do feel like shit, though."

Progress. Blue followed him into the kitchen and he left Scratch to look after Frank. He was a shit nurse but he had to pull his weight in the relationship - he needed Frank at 100% and it was his turn to be the handler instead of the handled.

Coffee was always step one and he did it automatically, clicking through what he needed. He checked the drawers for cough drops or - antibiotics or inhalers or a intubation tube - 

"Woof."

"What?" Matt paused, Blue nudging at his hip.

The shower switched on and Scratch joined Blue at his side, but she had something in her mouth - leashes. He took them, not bothering to question the dogs. He left the coffee and the junk drawer and grabbed the required plastic bags for disposal.

Blue didn't usually bark without purpose and Scratch had never asked to go out before the scheduled 'walkies', but they did their business and he wondered if he should take their temperatures before he went after Frank.

"I guess that answers my question - are you fixating?" Frank asked, hands wrapped around one of the endless Alias Investigations mugs.

"Of course not," Matt denied.

"Woof," Blue and Scratch barked together.

"I've got the sniffles, Matt, that's all, I'll take some of your zinc shit and drink tea," Frank said, catching his wrist. "Dogs had to take you for a walk off schedule, don't even try to deny it."

"Oh."

"You sure you feel all right? You're a little spacy," Frank said, taking his face between his palms. "If I'm sick, you'll probably - "

"Gross."

Frank laughed, draping his arms around him, kissing him with minty fresh breath. "Go clean up, I'll finish what you started and we'll check each other's temperatures before we start panicking about disinfecting the apartment."

Shit, he'd need at least three days off work if he had to clean - 

"Woof." Matt lowered his hand to Blue's back and let her steady him with her regularly wagging tail.

"Atta girl, follow Blue, Matty, she knows the deal."  
  


* * *

Blue made some things easier, but she made a lot of things harder. When he felt that bone-heavy dullness of depression, she was a complete and utter nag and made him take her for walks and throw the ball and barked until Maggie touched his hair. When he got injured on his nightly patrols, she would growl at anyone that came near him that wasn't Scratch - twice as many growls for Frank.

At least she wasn't as sneaky as Scratch who they'd discovered had a whole hoard of guns and knives hidden under her bed's platform. Matt had to convince Frank not to call a dog psychiatrist that time, but Sam and Curt got a good laugh out of it. Some dogs were natural kleptomanics but Frank made sure to keep his guns unloaded in the apartment after the discovery.

Foggy said they were becoming annoying hipster dog parents, and Frank loved stroking his beard and patting Matt's knitted cap to validate their life choices whenever he brought it up. Marci didn't say much once she'd been let in on the Daredevil secret, but Frank admitted she wanted Scratch to be flower girl in the wedding because she matched the color scheme.

When his friends had brought up the idea of getting a dog to help with his secret identity, he never thought it would end up like this. He doubted they did either. His relaxed relationship with Frank shifted into unspoken commitment and adopting the dogs gave them a shared responsibility instead of an unwanted obligation.

Their arguments evolved into discussions and their fights usually turned into doggy wrestling matches. The dogs hated when they were out of sync but neither of them could storm out angrily to cool off when they had high-maintenance pets to consider. Frank had set up a 'time out' corner on the roof with a small tent in case of weather for their use instead of finding a squat or rooftop to brood or drink away their anger. (They taught the dogs not to panic-bark if they found Jessica or Barton passed out under the tarp on nice days.)

The locals whispered about how nice it was that he'd finally accepted a dog to help him with those nasty accidents; but his friends whispered about how nice it was that he'd finally decided to make a family of his own and put down roots.

Matt tried to ignore all that - his roots were Hell's Kitchen and his family - was just a little bigger now. He had a partner that knew all his secrets and soft spots - and still wanted to share his space and his heart. _(Frank was nice to have around, too.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration Word: Blue

**Author's Note:**

> Title and Chapter titles belong to Fall Out Boy because ***3-day weekend mood*** \- fight me.


End file.
